Tent, canopy, or awning.



No. 721,993. l PATENTED MAR. 3, 1903.

E. ARNETT.

TENT, OANOPY, 0R AWNING.

APPLICATION FILED MARI) 20, 1902. I

Snom/vio@ O l E755@ gww I @Ho/0140.136

UNiTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE;

nnnin ARNETT, on LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

TENT, CANOPY, OR AWNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,993, dated March 3, 1903.

Application filed March 20, 1902. Serial No. 99.158. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, EFFIE ARNETT,aci1izen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tents, Canopies, or Awnings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tents, canopies, or awnings of that type in which the same is associated with a frame including a center support or ridge-pole, and comprises two iiaps which are designed to be drawn down from said pole toward the sides of the frame.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and eilicient means for expeditiously spreading and rolling up the two fiaps, and a further object is to provide suitable means for protecting the rolled iiaps from the ele-- ments.

To this end the invention includes a roller forming the ridge-pole of the frame, having the inner ends of the two flaps secured thereto, means for rotating the roller to wind the iiaps thereupon, and cables connected to the flaps, with means for operating the same to spread the flaps as the same are unwound from the roller.

The invention further includes a suitable housing associated with said roller for protecting the canopy rolled thereon from the weather; and the invention also includes the details of construction, as will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of my invention, Figure lis an end elevation, and Fig. Q'is a fragmentary plan view of the same.

As in the drawings but one end of the canopy and frame is shown, the opposite end being a duplicate of the same, the description will be confined thereto. This frame com.- prises ends formed of corner-standards d or', an intermediate standard b, and upwardly-inclined side frames c, which extend from the corner-standards to the ridge of the frame. At the apex of said frames the roller d, forming the ridge-pole, is journaled. This roller has an axial extension d', having fixed thereto a sprocket-wheel d, which is driven from a sprocket-wheel d3, fixed to a stud d4, j ournaled in standard b and having a crank clconnected thereto for rotating the same. This stud and crank are located in easy reach of an operator. To lock the parts against accidental displacement, a sliding boltis provided,which is designed to engage with the wheel d3. To diametrically opposite points of the roller Cl the inner edges of the two iaps e e2, forming the canopy, are secured, the opposite ends of said iiaps being secured to bars e', which are guided upon the side frames e. The connection between the edges of the iiaps and the roller d is preferably provided by forming the latter in two sections, which are secured together with said edges crossed and interposed between the sanne. Y As will be understood, by turning the crank d4 in one direction the roller d through sprockets d2 cl3 and chain passing over the same will be rotated, so as to wind up the flaps upon the same, and when the crank is rotated in the opposite direction the ilaps will be unwound. To spread the aps as they are unwound, mechanism operated through the rotation of the rollerdis provided, this mechanism being such as to in no wise interfere or impede the winding up of the flaps. This mechanism includes two ropes or cables arranged at each end of the flaps or roller d, one end of each rope being connected to one iiap and the opposite end wound about asuitable roller. Each rope g passes from the ilap e around a pulley 1l, secured to the standard a, back over a guide-pulley m, secured to standard b, and is then wound around a roller n, journaled between standards a. and secured thereto at its end. Each rope g' is secured at one end to the edge of the Hap e and passes directly from the same and is wound about said roller fn. As both ropes are maintained taut, as the roller n rotates in one direction it will draw upon the flaps through said ropes g g', and thereby spread the former. To secure this action in unison with the unwinding action of the roller d, itis suitably geared thereto to be driven therefrom. In the present instance this gearing comprises corresponding sprockets secured on axial extensions of the rollers d n and. a sprocket-chain' passing over the same. In operating as the crank is turned in one direction the rollercl is rotated in a direction to unwind the flaps and the roller n simultaneously rotated in a direction to wind up the ropes, which in turn will draw IOO upon and spread said liaps. When the crank is turned in an opposite direction, the roller d will wind up the iiaps and the roller n will unwind the ropes, so that the winding up of the flaps will not be impeded.

To protect the canopy from the weather, a hood or housing is preferably arranged above the roller d and parallel thereto. This hood may be supported from frames c.

It will be understood that the two iaps c e2 may be formed of separate pieces secured at their inner edges to the ridge-pole, or they maybe formed of a single piece of fabric. In the latter case the ridge-pole is formed of two semicylindrical sections, which are clamped or fastened together with the central portion of the fabric interposed between the same.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured 4by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with asupporting-frame having oppositely-extending portions at opposite sides of its ridge, of a longitudinallyarranged roller constituting the ridge-pole of the frame structure, separate canopy-flaps arranged to simultaneously wind and unwind upon the ridge-pole roller and provided at their outer edges with carrying-bars guided upon the oppositely-extending portions of the frame, a second roller carried by the supporting-frame, operating ropes or cables winding and unwinding on said second roller and having connections respectively with the carrying-bars of the separate canopy-naps, said ropes or cables being arranged to provide for simultaneously drawing out the canopy-naps in opposite directions, and a driving mechanism having geared connection with both the ridge-roller and the said second roller.

2. The combination with a frame of a roller forming the ridge-pole thereof, two flaps having their inner edges secured to said roller, an operating-crank and sprocket-Wheel operated thereby geared to said roller, a sliding locking-bolt coacting with said sprocket, a second roller geared to the rst, a rope secured to the edge of each ilap and Wound upon the second roller, and guide-pulleys for one of said ropes, one of said pulleys being arranged on the opposite side of said frame to said second roller.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EFFIE ARNETT.

Vitnesses:

A. G. WOLFENBARGER, EMMA J. HEDGES. 

